Granted Patent B2

US 7,244,029 · App. 10/961,599 · Granted Jul 17, 2007

Abstract

Claims (55)

1. A laser projector having a cooling system, comprising:

a housing;

an internal thermal insulating wall of said housing dividing said housing into two separate compartments, including a first compartment containing optical components of said laser projector including a laser and galvanometer, and a second compartment containing electrical components of said laser projector including a power supply generating heat;

said internal thermal insulating wall including an internal cooling channel extending substantially parallel to said internal wall;

said internal wall having a first side adjacent said optical components and a second side adjacent said electrical components thermally isolated from said first side; and

a fan directing air through said cooling channel cooling said internal wall and creating a thermal barrier between said compartments.

2. The laser projector as defined in claim 1 , wherein said internal wall extends from a top wall to a bottom wall of said housing and said cooling channel including a plurality of vertically spaced generally parallel cooling channels separated by web portions.

3. The laser projector as defined in claim 1 , wherein said optical components of said laser projector are mounted on said first side of said internal wall.

4. The laser projector as defined in claim 1 , wherein said internal wall of said housing includes a first wall portion having said first side and a second wall portion having said second side and said first and second wall portions are interconnected by a thermal insulating material.

5. The laser projector as defined in claim 4 , wherein said internal wall adjacent said first compartment includes a thermo-electric cooler reducing a temperature in said first compartment below ambient.

6. The laser projector as defined in claim 5 , wherein said first compartment includes a temperature sensor adjacent one of said laser and said galvanometer and a control actuating said thermo-electric cooler when a temperature of said sensor reaches a predetermined maximum temperature.

7. The laser projector as defined in claim 1 , wherein said cooling channel comprises a plurality of parallel channels separated by integral web portions.

8. The laser projector as defined in claim 1 , wherein said internal wall comprises two adjacent wall members, including a first wall member having a cooling channel therethrough adjacent said first compartment and a second wall member having a cooling channel therethrongh adjacent said second compartment, and said fan directing air through said channels through said first and second wall members.

9. The laser projector as defined in claim 8 , wherein said first and second wall members are thermally isolated.

10. The laser projector as defined in claim 8 , wherein said fan draws air through one end of said channels of said first and second wall members and the opposed ends of said channels includes a filter.

11. The laser projector as defined in claim 8 , wherein said optical components are mounted on said first wall member.

12. The laser projector as defined in claim 11 , wherein said electrical components are mounted on said second wall member.

13. The laser projector as defined in claim 8 , wherein said second wall member is rigidly mounted in said housing and said first wall member is mounted in said housing coaxially aligned with a channel-shaped fixture avoiding stress in said first wall member.

14. The laser projector as defined in claim 1 , wherein said internal wall includes a heater and a cooling element connected to a sensor located within said first compartment, and said heater and cooling element connected to a control controlling a temperature within said first compartment within a predetermined range.

15. A laser projector having a cooling system, comprising:

a housing;

a first wall member having an internal channel therethrough extending substantially parallel to said first wall member;

a second wall member having an internal channel therethrough extending substantially parallel to said second wall member, and said second wall member adjacent and substantially parallel to said first wall member;

said first and second wall members located within said housing, providing a thermal barrier between said compartments and dividing said housing into two separate compartments, including a first compartment adjacent said first wall member containing optical components of said laser projector, including a laser and galvanometer, and a second compartment adjacent said second wall member containing electrical components of said laser projector including a power supply generating heat; and

a fan directing a gas through said internal channels of said first and second wall members cooling said first and second wall members and maintaining a temperature in said first compartment below a temperature which would cause damage to said optical components of said laser projector.

16. The laser projector as defined in claim 15 , wherein said optical components of said laser projector are mounted on said first wall member.

17. The laser projector as defined in claim 15 , wherein said electrical components of said laser projector are mounted on said second wall member.

18. The laser projector as defined in claim 15 , wherein said first wall member includes a cooling element connected to a sensor located within said first compartment and a control connected to said sensor and said cooling element actuating said cooling element when a temperature in said first compartment exceeds a predetermined maximum temperature.

19. The laser projector as defined in claim 18 , wherein said sensor is located adjacent one of said laser and said galvanometer.

20. The laser projector as defined in claim 15 , wherein said fan draws air through one end of said channels through said first and second wall members and an opposed end of said channels includes a filter.

21. The laser projector as defined in claim 15 , wherein said first wall member includes a cooling element and one of said first and second wall members includes a heating element, a sensor located in said first compartment and a control connected to said sensor actuating one of said cooling and heating elements to maintain a temperature within said first compartment within a predetermined range.

22. The laser projector as defined in claim 15 , wherein said first and second wall members are rectangular and generally parallel in near abutting relation.

23. The laser projector as defined in claim 22 , wherein said first and second wall members are thermally isolated from each other.

24. The laser projector as defined in claim 15 , wherein said first and second wall members are formed of aluminum each having a plurality of parallel channels separated by integral web portions.

25. A laser projector having a cooling system, comprising:

a housing;

a first wall member having an internal channel therethrough;

a second wall member having an internal channel therethrough;

said first and second wall members each having a height substantially greater than a width mounted within said housing in generally parallel thermally isolated relation and dividing said housing into two compartments, including a first compartment adjacent said first wall member containing optical components of said laser projector including a laser and galvanometer mounted on an exterior of said first wall member and a second compartment containing electrical components of said laser projector, including a power supply mounted on an exterior of said second wall member; and

two fans directing a gas through said channels of said first and second wall members, including a first fan adjacent a top of said channels and a second fan adjacent a bottom of said channels maintaining a temperature in said first compartment below a temperature which may cause damage to said optical components of said laser projector.

26. The laser projector as defined in claim 25 , wherein said rectangular first and second wall members are mounted in said housing in side to side relation with a thermal barrier therebetween.

27. The laser projector as defined in claim 25 , wherein said first wall member includes a cooling element connected to a control and a sensor within said first compartment and said control maintaining a temperature within said first compartment less than ambient.

28. A laser projector having a cooling system, comprising:

a housing;

an internal wail extending from a top wall to a bottom wall of said housing dividing said housing into two separate compartments, including a first compartment containing optical components of said laser projector including a laser and galvanometer, and a second compartment containing electrical components of said laser projector including a power supply;

a cooling channel through said internal wall including a plurality of vertically spaced generally parallel cooling channels separated by web portions;

said internal wall having a first side adjacent said optical components and a second side adjacent said electrical components thermally isolated from said first side; and

a fan directing air through said cooling channel.

29. A laser projector having a cooling system, comprising:

a housing;

an internal wall of said housing dividing said housing into two separate compartments, including a first compartment containing optical components of said laser projector including a laser and galvanometer, and a second compartment containing electrical components of said laser projector including a power supply;

a cooling channel through said internal wall;

said internal wall having a first side adjacent said optical components and a second side adjacent said electrical components thermally isolated from said first side;

a fan directing air through said cooling channel; and

said internal wall including a heater and a cooling element connected to a sensor located within said first compartment, said heater and cooling element connected to a control controlling a temperature within said first compartment within a predetermined range.

Assignments (14)